Covid cases on the rise across Scotland

COVID case numbers in Dundee are continuing to rise as another wave of infections hit, latest figures show.

In the week ending June 17, the city saw an increase of 34% (335 positive cases),

This pattern is also reflected across Tayside and Fife.

Perth and Kinross saw the highest increase on case numbers with a 45.5% rise.

This means 403 people in the area have tested positive.

There was a 39.6% rise (310 positive cases) in Angus, while Fife saw a 40% increase (1,005 positive cases) compared with the previous seven days.

Nationally, Scotland saw the largest increase in Covid cases in the UK last week, according to the Office for National Statistics.

It estimates about 250,700 people – one in 20 – had the virus in the week ending June 17.

The rise in case numbers comes amid a new wave of Covid, thought to be caused by the new, more contagious, BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants.

They are believed to be more transmissible than previous strains of the virus.

They are also thought to be able to reinfect people faster than other variants, which is also contributing to the wave.

Scotland scrapped all Covid regulations in April.

While restrictions are not currently being brought back in, Scots are being urged to be cautious.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC: “We need to all be sensible and take precautions.

“It’s no longer, for example, a requirement to wear a face covering in an indoor place but right now when cases are rising again, it would be a sensible precaution to wear a face covering if you’re in an indoor place with crowds of people around you.

“We’ve all got out of the way of doing that in recent weeks, it’s perhaps sensible in the next few weeks to get back into the way of doing that.”